1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a continuous electrolytic ion water producing apparatus which electrolyzes water such as city water to continuously produce alkali ion water and acid ion water, and more particularly to a controlling apparatus which controls a continuous electrolytic ion water producing apparatus of the type mentioned so that an excess current is automatically prevented from flowing to an electrolyzing cell.
2. Description of the Related Art
A continuous electrolytic ion water producing apparatus which applies a dc voltage between a pair of positive and negative electrodes in drinking water such as city water to electrolyze the drinking water to directly produce alkali ion water and acid ion water is already known. Alkali ion water is used to improve the acid condition resulting from modern eating habits depending upon meat and thereby promotes health while acid ion water is used to wash the surface of the human body and for make-up.
The electrolyzing capacity of an electrolytic cell of an electrolytic ion water producing apparatus of the type mentioned, that is, the hydrogen ion exponent (pH) value of electrolytic ion water produced, depends much upon the flow rate through the electrolytic cell, the electric conductivity, temperature and quality of water supplied to the electrolytic cell and so forth. Therefore, a range change-over switch is provided which varies the dc voltage received by a power source circuit to adjust the electrolyzing strength to one of a plurality of stages. Thus, a required PH value of electrolytic ion water can be obtained if a user judges the flow rate and/or the quality of water and selects a suitable range in accordance with that judgment.
The range change-over operation user is sometimes performed in error. In this instance, if the electrolyzing strength is excessively low as a result of the range change-over operation in error, then electrolysis of water supplied may be insufficient, but there is no trouble. However, if the electrolyzing strength is excessively high as a result of the range change-over operation in error while the flow rate is comparatively low or the electric conductivity of water supplied is comparatively high, then an excess current higher than a maximum safe current which is set in advance depending upon the capacity of a power source transformer and some other factor flows, resulting in overheat of the power source transformer, burning of an electric part or the possibility that a human body may be damaged by water produced which has an excessively high PH value. Therefore, a countermeasure for the prevention of an excess current is taken.
Various countermeasures for the prevention of an excess current are conventionally available. One of the conventional countermeasures is to light up an indicator lamp to give a warning to a user in order to urge the user to perform a manual range lowering operation. It is another conventional countermeasure to provide an overheat preventing switch in the form of a bimetal thermo-switch for a power source transformer so that, when an excess current flows, the power supply is interrupted by operation of the switch.
However, with the former countermeasure, the manual range lowering operation is not always performed appropriately by a user, and in some cases, the manual range lowering operation may be performed in response to a warning in such a manner as to excessively decrease the electrolyzing strength beyond a necessary level. On the other hand, with the latter countermeasure, interruption of the power supply results in interruption of production of electrolytic ion water, and therefore, a range change-over operation and passing of water must be performed again from the beginning, resulting in low operability. Accordingly, in such a situation that an excess current flows, it is not possible to prevent such excess current to continuously obtain electrolytic ion water.